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In 2021, 95 farmers in cities within Bay County received a total of $1.4 million in 128 farm subsidies, a 92.5% increase from 2020, when the total was $732,730 in 189 farm subsidies.
Though farm subsidies support agriculture in the U.S., pumping $7 trillion into the economy, they are not without controversy.
The American Action Forum discovered that the most highly subsidized crops - corn, soy, wheat, and rice - are often consumed in highly processed ways, which leads to unhealthy eating habits and obesity, while the fruits and vegetables needed for a healthy diet are rarely subsidized.
"We are consuming more calories, fats, sodium, and sugars, and not enough beneficial nutrients and vitamins," Tara O'Neill Hayes wrote. "It is critical that both policymakers and the American public understand the influence that federal agricultural subsidies have on our food supply and diet and, in turn, our nutrition and health."
Farm subsidies have also been criticized for assisting the highest-earning agricultural businesses, not local farmers on their family farms who are barely getting by.
Kimberly Amadeo of The Balance said farmer subsidies "help high-income corporations, not poor rural farmers. Most of the money goes toward large agribusinesses."
The U.S. has provided farm subsidies since the Great Depression to assist farmers who weather price fluctuations and disasters, to help maintain consistent farming across the country.
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ten Kids Ranch, LLC | $0 | $500,000 | -- |
| Daddy Doc, LLC | $0 | $141,768 | -- |
| William A. Register | $0 | $112,980 | -- |
| Adris Pender | $183,255 | $84,848 | -53.7% |
| West Bay Oyster Company, LLC | $60,924 | $54,242 | -11% |
| Morris Timber Products, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Edwin Hathaway | $0 | $41,611 | -- |
| Bill Glass | $34,662 | $34,662 | 0% |
| Cynthia Ann Glass | $34,662 | $34,662 | 0% |
| Jonathon Breingan | $0 | $29,004 | -- |
| John D. Pipkin | $0 | $26,743 | -- |
| M R Real Property | $0 | $26,415 | -- |
| Myrtle Holloway | $44,872 | $22,042 | -50.9% |
| John William Boncosky | $44,689 | $20,238 | -54.7% |
| Rodney C. Pitts | $0 | $17,299 | -- |
| William J. Molnar | $0 | $14,631 | -- |
| Carol Mints Revocable Trust Dated May 21, 2013 | $5,128 | $12,435 | 142.5% |
| Ralph Anema Jr. | $0 | $12,284 | -- |
| Russell M. Jinks | $0 | $11,073 | -- |
| Busch/Christie Farms, LLC | $43,320 | $9,508 | -78.1% |
| Claire Vickers | $0 | $7,135 | -- |
| Gordon R. Merkel | $4,418 | $6,116 | 38.4% |
| Apex Farm | $6,106 | $6,106 | 0% |
| Todd Tindell | $0 | $5,938 | -- |
| Hideaway Farms, LLC | $14,641 | $5,907 | -59.7% |
| Miles H. Hannon | $0 | $5,739 | -- |
| Marion R. Gay | $0 | $5,642 | -- |
| Donald L Kimmel Revocable Trust | $12,980 | $5,510 | -57.6% |
| Walz Family Trust | $8,251 | $5,184 | -37.2% |
| William Griggs Espy | $5,331 | $4,541 | -14.8% |
| LA Ferme, LLC | $9,536 | $3,844 | -59.7% |
| Velma G Hollingsworth Irrev Trustee | $7,734 | $3,702 | -52.1% |
| Davis Fam 100 Farms, LLC | $6,659 | $3,573 | -46.3% |
| June Mclain Revocable Trust Agreement | $4,727 | $3,492 | -26.1% |
| Julius H. Trotter Jr. | $3,464 | $3,464 | 0% |
| Juli Healy-Michael & Juli Healy Rev Trust | $2,090 | $3,346 | 60.1% |
| Faye W. Cook | $3,418 | $3,047 | -10.9% |
| Arthur A. Wiechert Jr. | $5,896 | $3,018 | -48.8% |
| Fred A. Thompson | $0 | $2,948 | -- |
| Charles Williams | $2,929 | $2,929 | 0% |
| Loretta J. Hugghins | $3,278 | $2,861 | -12.7% |
| Betty Norton Juraschek | $2,847 | $2,847 | 0% |
| Columbus Smith Jr. | $4,356 | $2,630 | -39.6% |
| James E. Riley | $5,459 | $2,572 | -52.9% |
| Kay Cox Bostwick | $943 | $2,569 | 172.4% |
| Clayton H. Hugghins | $2,469 | $2,469 | 0% |
| Daniel David Massoni Trust | $2,460 | $2,460 | 0% |
| V. J. Nowell III | $3,563 | $1,996 | -44% |
| Hilton Aultman | $2,117 | $1,921 | -9.3% |
| Gary Rawson | $1,919 | $1,919 | 0% |
| Roger L. Pittard | $0 | $1,898 | -- |
| Charles Lee Williams | $6,374 | $1,827 | -71.3% |
| Charlie D. Tate | $7,764 | $1,794 | -76.9% |
| Jessie J. Parker | $0 | $1,782 | -- |
| L. F. Reynolds III | $0 | $1,482 | -- |
| Evelyn Weathers Revocable Trust | $0 | $1,446 | -- |
| Manuel I. Folsom Jr. | $7,078 | $1,400 | -80.2% |
| Paul A. Vincent Jr. | $1,403 | $1,378 | -1.8% |
| Southside Acres | $5,421 | $1,310 | -75.8% |
| Ronnie D. Bryan | $1,291 | $1,291 | 0% |
| Brett Master | $1,289 | $1,289 | 0% |
| Elaine M. Widman | $2,400 | $1,223 | -49% |
| Jack E Miesmer JR | $4,533 | $1,200 | -73.5% |
| Melaine S. Hardwick | $5,017 | $1,093 | -78.2% |
| Linda T. Tew | $451 | $1,086 | 140.8% |
| Tyler Wyndham | $1,082 | $1,082 | 0% |
| Pittard Farms, LLC | $0 | $1,057 | -- |
| Jamie P. Helms | $0 | $1,048 | -- |
| Mary Lemburg | $4,460 | $1,005 | -77.5% |
| Merrill T. Beasley | $4,169 | $886 | -78.7% |
| Beverly T. Bush | $451 | $836 | 85.4% |
| Jean L. Freeman | $2,076 | $830 | -60% |
| Zebelene Prince | $1,642 | $821 | -50% |
| Wilma Jean Hillman | $1,417 | $773 | -45.4% |
| Jeanie M. Majors | $748 | $748 | 0% |
| Lynn D. Rapp | $2,407 | $558 | -76.8% |
| Lois Mudge | $1,448 | $530 | -63.4% |
| Bruce Taylor | $0 | $521 | -- |
| James F. Wells | $499 | $499 | 0% |
| Linda P. Ray | $472 | $472 | 0% |
| Thomas F. Daniel Jr. | $634 | $434 | -31.5% |
| Brian K. Skibba | $872 | $383 | -56.1% |
| Kimberly J. Skibba | $872 | $383 | -56.1% |
| Rudolph Sistrunk | $379 | $379 | 0% |
| Gregory S. Robinson | $203 | $203 | 0% |
| Deborah Sue Wilkerson | $0 | $182 | -- |
| Vinalic, Inc. | $241 | $150 | -37.8% |
| Fred Pierce | $373 | $140 | -62.5% |
| Kevin Voigts | $621 | $119 | -80.8% |
| Brenda Wanker | $37 | $116 | 213.5% |
| Gregory A. Kocher | $171 | $102 | -40.4% |
| Betty S Schroeder-Betty Sue Schroeder Trust | $128 | $83 | -35.2% |
| Charles F. Marlow | $566 | $35 | -93.8% |
| Donell Lecompte | $31 | $31 | 0% |
| Brian Kelly Locklear | $0 | $7 | -- |
| Jean S. Evers | $437 | $0 | -100% |
| Leon L. Walters | $325 | $0 | -100% |
| Shirley A. Davis | $13,966 | $0 | -100% |
| Vicki S. Bryan | $20,007 | $0 | -100% |
| Annie J Couchigian | $898 | $0 | -100% |
| Delmer Linge | $1,403 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald Strayn | $11 | $0 | -100% |
| Elizabeth B. Barron | $11,848 | $0 | -100% |
| Emmitt L. Smith | $739 | $0 | -100% |
| Faye Ramer | $1,108 | $0 | -100% |
| Jane Saunders Potter | $404 | $0 | -100% |
| Janice Y Good Trust | $7,662 | $0 | -100% |
| Laurie P. Tindell | $5,938 | $0 | -100% |
| Mary Denise Sodec | $462 | $0 | -100% |
| Newell A. Mock Jr. | $179 | $0 | -100% |
| Sandra Smith | $1,651 | $0 | -100% |
| Terrance R. Vaughan | $2,340 | $0 | -100% |
| The Estate of Mirl I Smith | $697 | $0 | -100% |
| Anthony Wall | $217 | $0 | -100% |
| James M. Brock Jr. | $3,025 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph W. Bailey | $733 | $0 | -100% |
| No 4844 Trustee Donald L Good Ttee | $7,639 | $0 | -100% |
| Wynette Willis Estate | $2,918 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $732,730 | $1,410,657 | 92.5% |
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